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7B. Affiliate Organisation session: “What Are We Missing? Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs in a Changing Landscape - Supported by ARCSHS

Tracks
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Grand Ballroom 3&4

Details

In this symposium, we will present new data from the 8th Secondary Students and Sexual Health (SSASH) Survey and invite speakers from community and research sectors to reflect on the implications of these findings – and share related research – across three key areas: (1) access to sexual and reproductive health services; (2) young people’s experiences of intimate partner violence and unwanted sex; and (3) digital sexual literacy, including pornography education.

This session focuses explicitly on the intersections between these often siloed domains: clinical services and pregnancy/STI prevention (including condoms and contraception), consent and respectful relationships, and digital sexual cultures. We aim to examine gaps in current approaches to education and service provision, and to identify opportunities for more integrated and comprehensive responses to young people’s sexual and reproductive health.

The session will invite critical reflection and audience engagement around what needs to change across policy, practice, and education.



Speaker

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Prof Jennifer Power
Deputy Director
ARCSHS La Trobe

New findings from the Secondary Students and Sexual Health Survey

1:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Biography

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Ms Emily Mah
Schools And Community Educator
Sexual Health Victoria

Creative approaches to enhancing young people’s confidence and capacity to access sexual and reproductive health services, contraception and STI prevention

1:45 PM - 2:00 PM

Biography

Emily is an expert Relationships and Sexuality Educator, grounded in rights-based practice and a focus on empowering young people and their communities toward self-determination and informed decision-making. Skilled in building professional partnerships and leading collaborative projects, with an emphasis on primary prevention and proactive strategies that support community wellbeing.
Dr Sarah Vrankovich
Research Fellow
Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University

What we know about primary prevention of intimate partner violence among school-age young people.

2:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Biography

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Dr Giselle Woodley
Lecturer/Research Fellow
Edith Cowan University

Understanding young people’s engagement with pornography

2:15 PM - 2:30 PM

Biography

Dr Giselle Woodley is a sexologist and works as a Lecturer and Postdoctoral Research fellow at the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University in Australia. Giselle explores issues pertaining to sexuality, sexual violence, pornography, sexuality education, intimate communications, AI, image-based abuse, digital censorship and young people. Giselle is a co-founder of Bloom-Ed (www.bloom-ed.org/) a Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) advocacy group, and she is particularly interested in the benefits of RSE and real solutions that work in relation to these issues, which ultimately increase individual wellbeing, support healthy relationships, and reduce sexual violence.
ASRH Conference

7B. Questions & Discussion

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Biography

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